Cardiff CAMRA visited Bishops Castle in Shropshire last Saturday (9 July).

The occasion was the annual Bishops Castle Real Ale & Cider Festival, held in all the town's six pubs.

Superstitious members might have feared the worst when told we had six hours to visit six pubs ending at the Six Bells but in the event everything went well.

Bishops Castle is built on the side of a steep hill so we turned it into a gravity-assisted pub crawl by getting our driver to drop us off at the top of the hill and picking us up at the bottom.

First stop was the Three Tuns, one of only four home brew pubs operating when CAMRA was formed in 1971, and still going strong. Here we had a choice of eight real ales all from the Three Tuns Brewery, around which which we had a guided tour.

Then to the Castle Hotel, a traditional up-market country town hotel serving 11 real ales plus four traditional ciders mainly from south and south west England. Reaching the popular garden involved quite a climb but one was rewarded with views over the town and surrounding countryside.

The Vaults, our next stop down the hill, had fine African-influenced works of art on display plus on sale 23 real ales mainly from Shropshire and Montgomeryshire and a range of ciders and perries from Gwynt y Ddraig.

Next stop, the Kings Head offered 12 real ales from Shropshire and the Black Country plus four traditional ciders from Westons.

By now we were ready for some food and the home-made pork pies at our fifth pub, the Boars Head were judged excellent. Here we found a choice of 17 real ales from Staffordshire and elsewhere.

Finally to pub number six, the Six Bells, the town's second brewpub, which has been brewing since 1997. Six of its own beers were available plus 24 real ales from Sheffield.

Co-operation between the pubs avoided duplication meaning that in total 95 different real ales were available.

Our enjoyment of the day was enhanced by the fine, sunny weather despite heavy rain when we left Cardiff.

On our way home, we had a short break at the Barrels in Hereford, site of the Wye Valley Brewery, prior to it moving to its present home at Stoke Lacy, and still regarded as the Wye Valley Brewery tap.

All in all, a great day out and we now look foward to our forthcoming trips to Otley Brewery (21 July) and the Severn Valley Railway Beer Festival (17 September).